


Red Stains

by Derpy_is_awesome



Series: The Colors of the Rainbow [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Hurt, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt No Comfort, Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Keith (Voltron) Dies, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Major Character Injury, Major character death - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Lance (Voltron), POV Pidge | Katie Holt, Part Two of Colors of the Rainbow, Pidge | Katie Holt Angst, Sadness, Sadness noises, Sequel to Blue Skies, gonna cry myself to sleep hold up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:22:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25063081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Derpy_is_awesome/pseuds/Derpy_is_awesome
Summary: The aftermath and what lead up to Blue Skies, in Lance and Pidge’s perspectives.Sequel to: Blue SkiesPart Two of: Colors of the Rainbow-Lance always knew he loved too fiercely. He knew he felt emotions at a deeper level than most people, he knew that he was only setting himself up to get hurt.But he’d also known that Keith loved in the exact same way. He was fierce, inside, and out whether he was mad or happy or sad or disgusted. He was fierce in the way he fought, spoke, joked, loved. He was fierce. He was soft. Lance loved him. Keith loved him back. Lance missed him.Lance was bitter.
Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith/Lance (Voltron), Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt
Series: The Colors of the Rainbow [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1803106
Comments: 10
Kudos: 51





	Red Stains

**Author's Note:**

> Angst, enjoy

  
  


Pidge wasn’t usually one to listen to anything other than her brain.

Lance and Keith were the ones who listened to their instincts to keep themselves and each other safe, and it was very obvious the pining idiots had few to no brain cells most times.

With how much they argued, Pidge was sure they’d end up getting together because of an argument on who liked the other most.

She snorted at the thought.

But, back to her current topic.

Pidge listened to her own logic over most things, and she trusted her brain to get her out of most situations.

But right now, something deep inside her gut was telling her to be wary as the Green Lion approached the half-abandoned Galran base. The two previously mentioned Pala-dorks were situated somewhere behind her, no doubt partially clinging to each other in some way or another with the way Keith was grumbling about his personal space being non-existent.

“We’re in space, Mullet,” Lance snapped teasingly in return, Keith making a grunting noise of discomfort that Pidge knew was Keith’s reaction in response to being hit in the side with an elbow.

“Meaning?”

“Personal space is overrated.” Lance was wearing a shit-eating grin if his tone of voice was anything to go by.

Keith made a noise of indignance, Lance snickering under his breath and Pidge smiled, amused by their antics.

“I guess,” Keith mumbled, Pidge easily able to tell her friend was shrugging.

“Alright gays,” Pidge interrupted as the planet grew larger with their current proximity, the Green Lion’s camouflage rising over its colorful surface, the robotic beast turning completely transparent. She felt more than saw the two move, Keith appearing on her left in her peripheral while Lance hovered behind her, all three watching the Galran base nervously.

Pidge trusted her brain, knew the programs she’d installed for the camouflage worked without flaw, but it still brought forth a sense of anxiety whenever she used it, a voice whispering at the back of her head,  _ what if something goes wrong? _

_ What if the camouflage doesn’t work? What if you fly straight into danger? _

_ What if someone gets hurt because of one of your mistakes? _ _   
  
_

Worrying was pointless she knew, especially since the camouflage hadn’t failed her before, but she couldn’t help worrying, especially now since she wasn’t the only one at risk

But despite her worrying, the green lion sailed past the few Galra cruisers drifting lazily around the dark planet that was currently being inhabited by the Galra, and the plan could continue as planned.

Keith let out a quiet, relieved sigh at her side, Lance murmured thanks (presumably to God, Pidge was pretty sure Lance’s family was a tad on the religious side) and, to Keith, whispered a few reassuring condolences.

Pidge was silent, pushing at Green’s controls to urge her companion to speed up, knowing Allura and Hunk would be diving in soon as a means of diversion.

Her lion sent a few waves of warming comfort through Pidge’s conscious and Pidge managed a tense smile, guiding her Lion until they neared the base and the point of entrance Keith and Allura had pointed out to the team earlier.

As she set her lion down steadily, as her two friends silently prepared for battle, as she grabbed and readied her bayard and told Green to stay put unless moving was absolutely necessary, Pidge went over the plan once more.

_ Allura stood tall beside Keith, who was staring at the map of the base that had been passed to Voltron’s databases via the rebel forces, as Coran fiddled with the hologram a bit to make sure it wouldn’t shut off while the two were speaking. _

_ Pidge fiddled aimlessly with a scrapped piece of tech, eyes flickering between her friends before going back to the tech for a few moments and then back, that pattern repeating for a good few minutes before Coran cleared his throat and nodded to Allura. _

_ “Alright, team,” Allura began, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. “I’ll start us off by saying this mission won’t be easy. And I mean this seriously, it will certainly be more difficult than usual. This base holds valuable information that could reveal to the Coalition the main locations where Galra are keeping massive prison cells filled with prisoners, ranks and titles of who is who and who is important, and even possible coordinates that could reveal Haggar’s whereabouts.” She explained simply, gesturing to the base as she spoke. _

_ “This particular base, with all the information it holds, is usually heavily guarded, but with Voltron spreading Galran forces thin, there has been a noticeable drop in the number of droids, soldiers, cruisers, fighter ships, and druids present to keep guard. If we allow this chance to slip, it will be very much impossible to ever attempt to take this information ever again and would most likely cause a significant lag in the Coalition’s progress to defeating the Galra empire. _

_ “Marmoran spies have reported an average of three druids currently patrolling, roughly thirty cruisers, and a rapid decrease in the droids and soldiers as the Coalition draws the Galra’s attention further and further away from this base. That’s all the information we could gather, and with this knowledge, Keith and I created a plan.” _

_ Keith nodded, stepping closer to the map and stared at it for a moment before Allura stepped back and he took his cue to begin speaking. _

_ “The plan involves splitting up. I’ll be in a team with Pidge and Lance, Coran, Hunk, and Allura will be on the other team. Hunk, Coran, and Allura,” Keith turned his gaze to the three, Hunk and Coran standing at attention, “your jobs will mainly be a diversion for the majority of the mission, and when it’s time for my team to escape, you’ll be our cover. _

_ “Hunk and Allura, you’ll be in your lions and draw away the cruiser’s attention. Destroy as much as possible, Coran, you’ll be aiding them with the castle’s defenses. Make as much chaos as you please, it’ll be necessary for the second half of the plan to work. Lance, Pidge,” Pidge perked up, listening closely, “you two will be with me. Pidge, your job is getting all the information, downloading it, and then deleting it all from Galran databases. Lance and I will be your backup and protection while you work. The entry point we’ll be using is here.” _

_ As Keith pointed to a spot on the hologram, it lit up in a bright green highlight. “We’ll be getting there via the Green Lion, using the camouflage programming you added to let us get by undetected. Allura and Hunk will begin their distraction a minute after we’re in the base. Hopefully, the Galra won’t suspect anything and will simply assume three of the Paladins are out of commission, especially with how many battles we’ve been going through lately.” He explained. _

_ Pidge nodded along, listening to the rest of the details while memorizing the layout of the base. Soon enough, the plan explanation was complete and everyone was leaving, going to prepare for the battle to come. _

  
  


Pidge blinked out of her thoughts when Keith placed a hand gently on her shoulder, his bayard in hand and helmet placed over his head. Lance was no longer in the cockpit, and Pidge blinked once more before she nodded, the two not needing words to communicate at this point.

The Green Lion lifted its particle barrier as Pidge and Keith descended, Keith jogging a bit to get to the access point, sword easily slicing through the metal until there was a gap in the roof of the base.

All three friends shared apprehensive, guarded glances, bodies tense and lips pressed into thin lines before Lance was hopping down, bayard raised as he kept watch.

Keith sent Pidge a reassuring smile, one Pidge returned easily even as dread began churning in her gut.

Keith followed Lance inside, their voices quiet through the comms as Pidge paused at the entryway.

The dread in her gut was unusual, but she simply chalked it up to nerves; this mission  _ was  _ very important after all.

As she hopped down after Lance and Keith, looking around cautiously before beginning to lead the way to the middle of the base, she couldn’t help but hope that she was right (as usual) and the dread was just a result of nerves.

Pidge would later find out the truth.

For once, she was wrong.

~>

Lance scanned the area around the entry point carefully, straining his ears for the familiar sound of footsteps, heavy and metallic signifying droids or light, and yet still thudding against the smooth floors of the Glaran base, signifying soldiers.

No matter how confident Lance was in his skills, he couldn’t help but feel wary. His gut was churning, making him feel nauseous and almost dizzy with the foreboding sense of fear that whispered at the back of his mind.

He glanced at Keith, who was usually one step ahead of him when it came to instinctive warnings and pulls, but Keith didn’t appear to be any tenser than he was during the average mission. Glancing to Pidge, Lance could only glean a similar reaction, but he knew Pidge was one to listen to her brain over anything else.

Maybe Lance was just nervous.

The trio was cautiously silent, holding their breaths as they waited, shoulders tense, spines stiff, hands clenched tight around each of their respective weapons as they waited, old habits and fear bringing them to this initial pause before a device in Pidge’s hand, attached to her bayard smartly, gave an almost inaudible beep.

Lance probably wouldn’t have heard it if Keith’s head hadn’t tilted a fraction, ears much more sensitive to quiet noises than Lance’s or Pidge’s.

Which, of course, could always strike a problem if some other Galra just so happened to hear the beep as well, but as a few seconds passed and nothing happened, the trio relaxed somewhat.

“Comm check,” Keith whispered, expression serious as he cautiously glanced around, his voice practically echoing in Lance’s ear, as if Keith were pressed right against him and whispering.

Lance mentally cursed and forced his blush away at the thought.

“Check,” Pidge answered curtly, Lance nodding and mumbling the same a second after.

Keith nodded, gripping his bayard tightly. “Alright, I have the map of the base downloaded into my suit; I’ll lead the way. Pidge, you’re behind me, Lance, watch our backs.” Pidge nodded as Lance murmured an affirmative.

With Keith leading the way, the three made it to a large room in the middle of the base without trouble.

The room was brightly lit, everything tinged the same purple the Galra always used to represent themselves, with plenty of cleared out space. The middle of the room was taken up by a large control panel, shaped like a horseshoe, and pressed against a window that peeked into an almost completely empty room. Lance spotted something at the floor of the room before the control panel, but from where he stood he couldn’t properly make out what it was. Keith also peered into the room, squinting at the strange object as Pidge set up her tech to begin gathering the necessary data.

There was a tingling, quiet chime that alerted the three to a successful infiltration, a loading screen popping up before Pidge and showing a loading bar, only a fraction filled so far.

“Now to wait,” Pidge informed them.

Keith nodded, “Good. Allura, Hunk,” he spoke into his comms, eyes glued to the wide entry of the control room with unease making him go stiff.

Lance could relate, still feeling the same sense of anxiety from before, and a glance at Pidge gave Lance a bad feeling as he saw her own face screwed up with urgency and fear.

“What’s your status? How’s the diversion going?”

“Good! I think! Allura, watch your back!” Hunk replied, Allura shouting thanks.

“I think the diversion is working perfectly, Keith,” Allura added cheerfully, sounding slightly out of breath. “The forces are rapidly depleting and we haven’t yet had to face the druids.” Hunk made a noise, conflicted, and the next words Allura said were laced with concern. “That also means they could be trying to locate you three, be cautious.”

“We will, princess,” Keith replied reassuringly.

Lance watched doubt flicker across his friend’s face before Keith carefully blanked his expression, turning his focus back to the entryway.

Lance felt the same dread from earlier stab sharply at his heart, because, if Keith had a bad feeling about this, then who’s to say something bad wasn’t going to happen?

Lance held his bayard higher, aiming it the door and silently prayed, prayed to anything that would listen to him, prayed nothing would go wrong.

It would be clear later that Lance’s prayers were not listened to.

~>

Lance watched Pidge stress as the loading bar didn’t move farther than “79% Data Gathered,” feeling sympathetic as the girl tried to hurry the technology along.

Everyone was antsy.

Hunk and Allura were going to get overwhelmed soon even with Coran’s additional help, and if the diversion stopped while they were still stuck getting the required information then the whole mission would be compromised, and it was likely Lance and the others would be captured.

Lance frowned at the thought.

Keith was staring at the empty room next to them curiously, a hand scratching at the nape of his neck as the other loosely gripped his bayard, body still tense in preparation for anything.

Lance, at this point, doesn’t expect any attack. Even with Allura and Hunk getting so much attention from their enemies, Lance knows the two are more than capable of standing their ground, and with Coran’s help, he has no doubt they can come out of this victorious. Really, Lance would expect an attack when they were attempting to leave the base once in the safety of the green lion.

Maybe that’s why he foolishly lets his guard down.

It was so  _ dumb _ , to relax when in the heart of the enemy’s territory.

But suddenly Pidge was cheering inaudibly as the 79% bounced up rapidly to 88%, Keith had the most adorably confused pout on his face, and his nerves had eased.

So he relaxed.

He turned away from the doorway, from Pidge, from the control panel and allowed himself a moment to his own thoughts, his foot tapping periodically as was one of his many nervous habits.

His eyes are glued to Keith - because at this point they usually are as Lance admires the male - and that’s the only way he knows something is up.

Keith is a split second late when he whips around, hand tightening to grip his sword more firmly, but black lightning is already launching forth from a Druid’s clawed fingers, heading directly towards Pidge, and  _ she hasn’t noticed and- _

. . .

Keith hits the floor with a scream.

Heart-shattering, Lance takes too long to process.

Pidge cries out.

Glass shatters, and there’s more lightning- _ fuck, there’s more lightning- _

It’s coming from the next room over and Lance takes a moment to realize that whatever device Keith had been staring at must be quintessence based, or magic-based, must enhance the magic or reflect it, or- _ or something,  _ but it’s hurting Keith and Lance doesn’t waste one more precious second.

The Druid doesn’t pay attention to him. Doesn’t see it’s downfall coming even as death stares it right in the face.

They slump to the floor with a strangled cry of pain, the dark magic ceasing as electricity crackles along the length of their arm.

As soon as they stop, the reflected lightning from the odd device below pauses and the machine groans, before there’s a familiar thud of metal collapsing.

Everything grows silent and Lance realizes with a gasp that Keith had been screaming in the background.

Lance drops his bayard carelessly as he whips around and races to Keith’s side.

The loading bar bings, “ _ 99% Gathered Data, _ ” and Pidge is wailing, voice cracking as she cries Keith’s name.

Keith groans, spasming, writhing around and Lance doesn’t think as he jumps onto Keith, throwing a leg over Keith’s hips to straddle him and pushing Keith’s shoulders flat against the cold metals of the floor.

_ There’s so much blood, it’s all red, there’s too much- too much blood- too much red, there’s too much and there’s a gaping red hole right through Keith’s chest. _

_ Lance can see the floor right through Keith. _

_ He feels like throwing up. _

“Keith- Keith, no!” Pidge falls to her knees at Keith’s side, trembling with wide eyes that are filled with panic and despair as Keith spasms again.

His armor did nothing to protect him as he sacrificed himself to protect Pidge.

Lance feels resentment.

He closes his eyes, inhaling sharply and feels his bayard form in his hands, appearing promptly at his silent beckoning.

He doesn’t look as he aims.

He shoots the Druid an extra six times, six shots for the six flutters of Keith’s eyelids as he whines, pain written across his features.

Everything is going blurry. 

Lance can’t focus on anything.

He can’t hear the others, can only half make out Pidge’s distressed cries of anguish as she tries desperately to press against the wound. Keith whimpers and Lance, knowing her efforts are futile, bats her hands away to relieve Keith of the added pain. He says something to Keith when the male spasms once more, crying out and Lance feels his heart breaking in half. But he can’t properly make out what’s happening.

He can’t listen to Pidge, or Keith, can’t hear Pidge’s words, as if he was underwater.

And then his head breaks the surface as Keith spasms once more, face turning content, and he hears Pidge say  _ something, something, something, and then- _

“-so much blood, he’s  _ dying  _ and-”

The rage fills Lance so quickly.

His bayard has disappeared as he turns on Pidge and shouts, snarls, heart cracking, and withering away piece by piece as Keith mumbles something.

“ He's not dying!" Lance sees Pidge recoil as if struck, and he feels guilty.

But he’s trembling, rage eating away at his own heartbreak and it feels  _ horrible, _ horrible to the point he can’t contain his words.

“Keith is not dying, Pidge! He can’t.” Lance feels more than he hears his voice crack. Pidge is sobbing, a terribly wounded sound, and Lance knows she’s losing another brother.

It’s too soon. Keith shouldn’t be dying, it’s far too soon, he’s t _ oo young. _

_ They all are. _

“We’ve come too far into this damn war together as a team, as a  _ family _ , for him to die!”

His arguments are fruitless.

Pidge only cries more.

“Keith’s not dying!” He shouts harshly, then turning to Keith and thrusting a finger at his chest, pulling away with blood,  _ red blood, oh god there’s so much blood,  _ darkening the black of his glove. “You’re not dying!” He orders, likes to think Keith will somehow listen to his command and fucking listen for once.

Keith chuckled weakly and Lance felt panic begin to set in, alongside the fear, the depressing knowledge that Keith was slipping away.

And there was nothing Lance could do about it.

Lance growled under his breath, slapping Keith’s cheek harshly for a second time, “Keith, open your eyes! Right fucking now!” He demanded, breathing harshly.

Keith didn’t react.

His eyes are half-lidded and hazy.

Lance feels himself fall further into hysteria as he cries out, “Keith? Keith! Keith, no! No, no no no! Keith, wake the fuck up!”

He’s trying to grasp at ropes.

He’s trying so hard to pull Keith up after him, to get Keith to grab onto the ropes too, but Keith’s is fading.

Fast.

There’s one last chime, almost unheard in the midst of the chaos. Lance is a fraction aware of Pidge, finishing their mission, of Allura and Hunk, crying and begging to know that Keith is alright, that they’re taking him to a healing pod. Coran is silent. 

He’s already mourning.

Lance wishes desperately that Coran didn’t have to watch another member of his family die, wishes Coran never had to experience the death of his entire civilization.

Keith shifts minusculely, and Lance strains to hear what he says.

“The sky…’s lookin’ pretty…”

Keith’s eyes, violet and dull, locked onto Lance’s blue gaze and Lance swallowed, forcing a lump down his throat as he choked on a sob.

Sorrow crept up his spine, rage receding. Two lions roared in his mind, the red lion’s roar filled with the grief of losing a loved one. The blue lion is more consoling, keeping Lance’s emotions balanced for him as Keith dies in his arms.

Pidge is huddled close. Her eyes squeezed shut. She opens them at Keith’s words, lips trembling, one hand clutching Lance’s bicep in a vice grip.

Lance watched Keith smile at Pidge.

She didn’t return it and Keith’s gaze flashed with sadness.

“Keith...” Pidge whispered hoarsely, “Please,  _ please  _ don’t do this.”

Lance could feel his own soul seeping out of the cracks in his heart as Keith didn’t reply.

Couldn’t reply.

They all knew it was too late.

Lance resigned himself to being there with Keith as he passed.

Defeatedly, he leaned closer to Keith and asked quietly, “What’s so pretty about the sky, Red?”

_ Red. _ The nickname Lance had assigned Keith affectionately mere months ago would be bittersweet forevermore.

_ Red like his blood. It’s pooling under him. It’s everywhere. It’s on his armor, Pidge’s armor, my armor. It’ll forever leave a stain, won’t it? _ Lance asked himself, tears pricking the edge of his vision. He’d already cried so much. Keith deserved the tears.

He deserved to be cried for.

“Blue…” is all Keith could mumble in reply, and Lance felt his breath hitch.

The tears fell. 

They cooled his cheeks, dripped down onto Keith, mingled with the red of his blood, and created pink.

_ Pink,  _ Lance remembered Allura mentioning,  _ is the color of grief, mourning, and the promise to remember on Altea. A beautiful color that represents something so darkly beautiful in its own way. _

Lance couldn’t help but agree.

Lance couldn’t help but finally scream, cry, wail his heartbreak as Keith’s gaze dulled.

Lance squeezed his eyes shut, lifting a hand, tenderly caressing Keith’s rapidly cooling cheek before he gently closed Keith’s eyes for him.

Pidge was dutifully quiet at his side, her grip burning against his arm as her trembling ceased to stop, as she whimpered in pain, pain for her lost brother. Pidge was trying to keep herself silent, allow Lance to curse the universe with his own cries of anguish as the man he loved died before him, as his heart broke and fractured in a way that could never be repaired.

She whimpered again as she stared at Keith’s face, twisted in a show of regret and minimal pain all while the peacefulness of sleep - _ death, Keith was dead, he was dead and nothing would change that and he was gone and- _ made him look calm, serene if not for the red stains on his armor, the gaping hole in his chest that reeked of iron, the dead Druid merely six feet away.

Pidge stared at Keith sadly, desperately wishing he’d blink his eyes open again and tell Pidge it was a  _ joke _ , he was  _ fine _ , they were  _ all  _ fine, he was still coming back to the Castle and they’d all laugh together and talk and bond before bidding everyone goodnight and she’d secretly watch as Lance and Keith attempted to flirt and tease but be unable to do so without both growing flustered, red in the face like tomatoes.

_ Like his blood. _

Pidge cried silently as Lance let out everything he was feeling.

Keith was leaving them.

But he was leaving far too soon.

~>

They find Shiro.

Or maybe it’s the other way around and Shiro finds them.

Honestly, Lance doesn’t care about the specifics.

He just wants to know how to tell Shiro about…  _ what happened, _ without breaking the man’s heart.

Lance doesn’t think that’s possible.

Shiro looks different, but that’s to be expected after everything he’s apparently been through.

He looks so excited to be back.

Everyone is happy to see him.

But everyone is also subdued.

Shiro lights up when he gets a hug from all of them, sinking into their warmth and Lance pleads and prays that Shiro won’t ask yet, that he will forget about his little brother for just a few moments longer.

Lance has the bad feeling in his gut that it’s gonna be him who has to break the news to Shiro. He’s gonna be the one who makes that beaming smile disappear.

But the universe seems to be against him more than ever after Keith’s death.

Shiro does a goddamn headcount, like the dad he’s always been.

Lance smiles, a bittersweet feeling rising in his chest. Taking place where the scraps of his heart are. The feeling is more bitter than sweet.

When Shiro notices instantly that someone is missing, he frowns, before he smirks with a chuckle, “Is Keith in a healing pod? Did my knucklehead of a brother hit his head too hard against Black’s dashboard when trying to somehow convince himself he’s not cut out for leadership or something?” Shiro laughs but sobers quickly.

Pidge was quick to hide her face when tears sprang to her eyes.

Hunk isn’t meeting Shiro’s confused gaze, he too is hiding fresh tears.

Coran is fiddling with his mustache, his most recently developed habit that means he’s upset but doesn’t want to sit still.

Allura is wearing a necklace with a pink charm and holds it tightly, frowning. She cried the day Keith died, Lance hasn’t seen her shed a tear since. He knows she’s trying to be brave for the team.

Lance is the only one who doesn’t shy away from Shiro’s gaze. As much as he hates to admit it, Keith’s death changed him. He’s harsher on the battlefield, sharper with his words, less tolerant with pointless distractions. He reminds himself of Keith. Yet another bittersweet result of the former paladin’s death.

“Lance?” Shiro prompts, voice a hesitant whisper.

Shiro has experienced loss before. He knows war.

He already knows Keith isn’t here.

Lance answers anyway, Shiro deserves as much.

“Keith’s… He’s gone, Shiro. We lost him on a mission.”

Shiro instantly makes a heartbroken sound that Lance wouldn’t have ever expected from him. Shiro was expecting the answer.

Lance understands that that doesn’t mean Shiro wanted to hear it.

“What…?” 

Lance feels sympathetic. Sad. Bittersweet. Bitter.

He turns away from Shiro and leaves the room.

He’s asleep in Keith’s old bed by the time anyone else moves, tears caressing the lines of his cheek.

~>

Lance likes to think he’s handling Keith’s passing quite well after three months.

He’s not.

He’s a bitter, empty husk for the first few weeks before he even tries to keep the team’s spirits up.

Shiro is different.

Lance expected this.

Hunk is more somber, quieter. More subdued. More stressed.

Lance misses his old friend.

Coran busies himself with endless chores and accepts little to no help. It takes him longer to complete the chores on his own. Gives him less time to think. 

Allura still sheds no tears. Lance appreciates her strength even as her eyes show deep sadness.

Pidge seems younger than ever, constant bags under her red-rimmed eyes.

Lance is still bitter over the color red.

Red still stained his armor the next week after that mission no matter how much Lance tried to clean it off, no matter how many tears he shed, no matter how pink the blood turned.

Why it wouldn’t wash off Lance had no idea.

He got new armor.

Red armor.

A bitter reminder.

Lance always knew he loved too fiercely. He knew he felt emotions at a deeper level than most people, he knew that he was only setting himself up to get hurt.

But he’d also known that Keith loved in the  _ exact  _ same way. He was fierce, inside, and out whether he was mad or happy or sad or disgusted. He was fierce in the way he fought, spoke, joked,  _ loved _ . He was fierce. He was soft. Lance loved him. Keith loved him back. Lance missed him.

Lance was bitter.

He didn’t think that would change.

Lance loved too fiercely. Gave his all or gave nothing.

And Keith had taken Lance’s love, had taken all of Lance.

And Lance was left with nothing.

Nothing except the biting feeling of bitterness, bitterness towards Keith for taking his all, bitterness towards himself for giving his all without hesitation, and most importantly, bitterness towards the universe.

The universe took everything Lance was. And it took Keith, his  _ everything _ , right along with it.

**Author's Note:**

> Drop a comment/kudos if you liked :,)
> 
> Part Three, Allura's Reaction, will be out soon


End file.
